Bonilla corruption trial starts Tuesday

Sept. 21--LAWRENCE -- It's been more than two years since Melix Bonilla, the city's former deputy police chief, was indicted and formally accused of conspiring with ex-Mayor William Lantigua in a illegal car swap scheme.

After a series of motions and delays, the case is scheduled to start this week.

Jury selection in Bonilla's criminal extortion, fraud and conspiracy case is expected Tuesday -- the second corruption trial involving a member of Lantigua's administration.

In April, Leonard Degnan was sentenced to 18 months in county jail and fined $10,000 after his conviction for bribery and other crimes committed while he was Lantigua's chief of staff.

Degnan, who is now barred from running for public office in the future, was found guilty of pressuring a city trash vendor to donate a trash truck to the Dominican Republic, Lantigua's native country.

Bonilla, Lantigua's political ally and former campaign manager, is charged with arranging the "unlawful transfer" of 12 city-owned cars in exchange for four Chevrolet Impalas with Lantigua's friend, Bernardo Pena of Santo Domingo Motors. Pena made a profit of $25,000 and the city lost an estimated $60,000 in the deal, according to the allegations.

The now-suspended Lawrence police officer, who Lantigua promoted from sergeant to deputy police chief after taking office in 2006, is accusing of conspiring with the then-mayor "to arrange and facilitate this unlawful transaction to benefit Bernardo Pena."

"Moreover, it is alleged that this transaction constitutes a fraudulent conversion of city property, a trick, scheme, or device to mislead in procurement of supplies, extortion and use of an official position for an unwarranted privilege," according to pre-trial court papers filed by both the defense and prosecution in the case.

The trial will be held in Salem Superior Court before Judge Timothy Feeley and is expected to last at least a week.

The witness list for trial is extensive, listing 41 people, including Lantigua, dozens of Lawrence police officers, including retired Police Chief John Romero, FBI agents and city workers.

It's unclear if called to the stand if Lantigua, who served as mayor from 2006 to 2010, will testify. At Degnan's criminal trial, flanked by defense attorney Jeffrey Denner, Lantigua exerted his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and never said a word before the jury.

To date, Lantigua has not faced any criminal charges in connection with Degnan or Bonilla's cases.

One former police department worker, Jay Jackson, has been repeatedly described as a "key witness" in Bonilla case.

Bonilla's defense attorney, Alex Cain of North Andover, has spent months filing motions to obtain investigative and internal affairs reports involving Jackson, who served as the police department's unpaid auxiliary police chief and civilian facilities manager.

Jackson was fired after new Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera took office Jan. 2.

Cain, in court proceedings, has previously alleged Jackson was the target of "multiple internal affairs investigations" and was promised leniency in such investigations for testifying against Bonilla. The defense has said the criminal case against Bonilla is based "almost entirely" on Jackson's testimony and therefore his credibility is central to Bonilla's defense.

In court papers, Cain wrote that he identified two witnesses "who indicated they often heard Jackson brag he was 'untouchable' that as long as he cooperated with the Lawrence Police Department in its investigation of Melix Bonilla and William Lantigua."

Romero, in a previous interview, denied Jackson was given any breaks in internal affairs investigations in exchange for his testimony. The internal affairs investigations involved Jackson's alleged role in "unlawful promotional practices and sexual harassment," Cain has said.

According to grand jury testimony, Jackson said Bonilla threatened to have him fired if he didn't help with the illegal car swap. Jackson told grand jurors he feared losing his job; his only source of income and health insurance after he had a heart attack four years prior.

Bonilla was indicted, alongside Degnan, on Sept. 11, 2012. He was stripped of his badge and gun and barred from working at the police station. However, he continued to receive his $138,000 salary until early January 2014, when Rivera took office as mayor.

Rivera suspended Bonilla, demoted him to the rank of sergeant and halted his pay.

Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on twitter @EagleTribJill.

Bonilla witness list

The following are among those listed on the "prospective witness" list for Bonilla's trial. It does not necessarily mean every person on the list will be called at trial, however:

- FBI agents Peter King, Larry Travaglia, Margaret Cronin and Gary Carace.

- David Tobin and Nicholas Read, formerly of the state's Office of the Inspector General.

- State Trooper Brian McNally.

- Leonard Degnan, Lantigua's former chief of staff, and Patrick Blanchette, a former top Lantigua aide.

- Lawrence Police Officers Carl Farrington, Michael Simard, Ariel Montas, Thomas Cuddy, Angel Mejia, William Green, Gary Yancey, Sgt. Emil DeFusco, Capt. Roy Vasque, Lt. Marc Ciccarelli, Sgt. Sandra Picard, Lt. Shawn Conway, Lt. James Raso and Sgt. Shawn Quaglietta.

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